Fate, Friends & Feelings: Bound Trilogy part 2
by Shade-Duelist
Summary: Tia and Prince Alex tackle a new weapon: the axe. Tia meets a new person. And what's this about Dekar falling for a woman's charms? Updated upon finishing another chapter. Review please! sequel to Hugs, Happiness & Home
1. A new place to call home

Fate, Friends & Feelings

The second part of the Bound trilogy

by Shade-Duelist

disclaimer: Taito owns Lufia 2, not me. Go pester them. I do own this story, so at least ask before using it yourself.

The knighting ceremony had been dull, Tia thought as she went to what was now her home - in fact, it was one of the houses Dekar had inherited. She had sold her shop in Elcid to Angelina, and had used the money to give Dekar some type of recompensation. The fighter had, however, smiled and refused everything but half of the money, insisting that she buy herself a new wardrobe better suited to the hot desert clime.

So now she was wearing her brand new training outfit: a loose blouse and pants in a light blue colour. Dekar had given her a strict but bearable training schedule, which consisted of workout, weapon use practice and plenty of other exercise, claiming that she needed to get into top shape before she could master some of the heavier weapons. She had already completed her morning run around the castle and now her friend would be waiting for her on the courtyard to start training her in the use of a short sword.

But she was surprised to see not only him, but someone else in simple training garb standing on the wide courtyard.

"Tia, allow me to introduce Prince Alex to you. He'll be training under me as well for about a year. Just like you. Prince Alex, this is my friend, Lady Tia. She's recently moved here from Elcid, a town on the far south. She was a close friend of Maxim's and is one of my best friends."

"Pleased to meet you, Lady Tia...", the prince said as he bowed slightly and brushed her hand with his lips - Tia blushed despite herself, but more so because the prince didn't seem to mind her sweaty attire.

"Now, Tia and Prince Alex, let me warn you now. I will be severe. No mistakes, no slip-ups, no excuses. I want two hundred percent motivation and two hundred percent commitment. The moment I find either one of you disobeying me - or the schedules you've got - I'll discipline you. Prince Alex, here you are my pupil, and you will listen to my every word. Understood?" Both nodded, and Dekar continued a bit more cordially: "But if ever one of you feels down, or fears to have reached his or her limits, I'll be here to help you and to support you. I may train you, but I'm also a friend. Turn to me when you need me, and you won't be turned away." He chuckled all of a sudden. "Let's just begin, shall we? Today: the short sword. A decent weapon to start with, since it has a fairly short range but provides more security than a dagger." Dekar handed each of them a short sword from a rack nearby. "Let's see you handle them. Stand in front of a log, each of you, and take a swing at it." Dekar snickered as the prince swung weakly, nearly losing grip on the sword, and Tia lost her balance after her swipe. "Yes, that's why I asked you to do this. You first have to become familiar with it's weight. Take a few steps back and swipe through the air. Keep on using the same move until you feel stable, then try another swipe."

By the end of the day, Tia had had five hours' worth of short sword practice, resulting in her now being used to its weight and size. But her one hour workout, consisting of several exercises to strengthen certain areas of her body, had left her exhausted and now she didn't care about dinner. She pushed open the door to her new house and suddenly the smell of a simple meal met her. She saw the table was set and before she could even wonder who had done that, Dekar entered with a large platter with all sorts of food stacked onto it.

"Oh, uh... hi...", he said, blushing. "Just being friendly here - and stealing part of your food, I know, but I'll pay you back. Figured you'd lack the strength to cook."

"And you were right.", Tia said as she sat down. "Thanks." She immediately assaulted the pile of food in front of her, finding it to her taste. "Man this stuff is spicy!", she said in between bites.

"Here, have a bit of water..." Dekar handed her a glass and a bottle of water: while she poured out a measure of liquid, he asked: "And, what did you think of your first day?"

"Exhausting, gruelling, mind-numbing... but it was kind of nice to be able to start from scratch, and I'm looking forward to tomorrow." She then caught a smell and turned up her nose. "If only it didn't make me smell vile."

"Meh, I've smelled worse. You still smell like a perfumed maiden compared to Maxim, Selan, Guy and me after hours of dungeon-crawling, monster goo everywhere and... Oh, sorry...", he quickly apologised as he saw Tia blanch.

"It's okay... Thanks again, Dekar. No, leave the dishes for me, I'll do them when I'm done bathing. Besides, you probably have better things to do by now, like relax."

"Okay, Tia, I'll just let you bathe then... but I'll at least clean up the mess in the kitchen.", he added. "You go bathe, and don't worry about a thing. I'll close the door when I leave." Tia merely nodded and went to her bath. A few moments after she had drained it and had started drying herself, she heard the door close. _He's so caring... I guess he took Maxim's words to heart._ Tia then put on some easy clothing and went down to the kitchen.

Her kitchen was spotless, and all the dishes were washed and neatly stacked away already. A hastily scribbled note on the kitchen sink told her:

"Sorry, couldn't help it. Hope you enjoyed the meal. Maybe tomorrow, if you feel like it, join me for a meal in the castle. They don't mind sweaty stinking training soldiers as well. By the way, you did better than Prince Alex on his first day! Dekar"

"Why, how nice and charming...", Tia mused with an absent-minded smile before returning to her living room. 'And how unlike the Dekar I remember from before the party...', she added as an afterthought.

The next day, and the next week, brought the same experiences for Tia. Every day, she'd run around the castle once, then go to the courtyard for practice in short sword use. She progressed a bit more each day, and at the end of the week she was able to disarm Dekar and dismember a straw training puppet. Dekar had then decided to bring her back down to earth by swiftly disarming her in turn, throwing his weight into the battle.

"Tia, you're beginning to get good, but there's much more you need to learn...", he said with a half-smile as he extended his hand to her. "Sure, you can disarm someone when the fight's simple, but you need to have a much higher level of expertise. I was only parrying and blocking until just now - but real enemies do much more than that. Real enemies attack you. Real enemies aren't concentrating on performing moves, they're trying to survive. This is a lesson you'd do best to remember. Both of you.", he added as prince Alex joined them. "I won't try to kill you, but I won't shy away from hurting you. Also remember that control means more than kill an opponent - you might simply want to wound him or even knock him out." He sighed as he motioned for them to sit down on the stone steps leading to the castle for a while, seeing as their five hours on the courtyard were nearly over anyway. "Next time we practice, I'll teach you about control. About how to battle real enemies. And to learn this, I'll start at the base." He whistled, and from the inside of the building came two men in robes, their heads topped with something that looked like a turban. "These are Yassu and Leon, two mages in service of the King. They're monster handlers: they can either summon or control monsters of lower intelligence. Starting next practice, they'll be providing you with real adversaries, adapted to your level of expertise. Beat a monster and they'll summon a stronger one. Be defeated, and they'll immediately vanquish it. They're also expert healers, so any wounds you might get, they can handle." He then grinned. "Give them a demonstration, guys, so they can see what they might one day end up against." One of the men nodded to the other and stepped forward: he performed a graceful movement while whispering barely audible words, and from his hands sprung a Minotaur and a Sphinx, both looking towards the two trainees menacing. They suddenly charged, but the other man simply raised his hand and they disappeared into thin air. Then, they both started a spell, and from the combined light springing from their hands emerged a beautiful black dragon, roaring before flying off and disappearing in much the same way as the other monsters had. Then, the second man raised a hand and the courtyard was littered with newts, who squeaked miserably. The next moment, the newts became scorpions, who in turn became orks, which then turned into living trees, and then back into innocent jellies before disappearing.

"Wow...", Tia said as the two men bowed to each other and then to them. "You're artists..."

"They're very cunning in their art, yes. Thanks, Yassu, Leon. Send my thanks to the colonel for his generosity.", Dekar said as the two men retreated back into the castle. "Now, let's go do your exercises. Tia, you're a bit bruised in the back, maybe you shouldn't strain it." Tia tentatively touched her back and winced as a sharp pain emitted from the pressure of her hands,

"Ouch! ...No, it's okay, Dekar." As she spoke, a faint light emitted from between her fingers and the bruises on her back vanished before Dekar's eyes. "See?"

"Just being worried 'bout a friend, that's all...", he said before pushing the door open to the exercise room of the soldiers.


	2. Cooking for angels

Fate, Friends & Feelings (part 2 of the Bound trilogy) - by Shade-Duelist

disclaimer: I think I've said it enough by now. I don't own either Lufia or anything from it. I do, however, own this story, so ask before use.

Tia smiled as she entered her house again. It was a month after her arrival in Bound, and her training had reached a new level: she had been able to best one of the strongest monsters the two men could summon. Dekar had given the men a signal once the monster had disappeared and then had motioned for her to go to him. She could still remember his exact words, too.

"Tia, I'm surprised to see what you just did... beating a Sphinx requires more than skill. You've proven yourself a master in this weapon!" He had then winked and added: "Tomorrow, you can start with a different weapon: the longsword. Do your exercises now, then go have a bath quickly and dress nice. I'm taking you out for dinner!", he had finished with a grin. That was the reason why she was now relishing in her bath. Her exercises had flown by - her physical condition had improved to the point where Dekar had now given her the assignment to double her daily run.

An hour later, she stood waiting by the door of Dekar's quarter, a bit anxious to knock. But deciding that she'd best let the fighter know she was waiting - at the very least - she raised her hand and knocked briskly.

"Tia? You can come in if you like. I'm just putting my underwear on..." A passing maid giggled upon hearing it, and Tia blushed a bit.

"No thanks, I have no need to see your underwear."

"Hey, that smarts coming from you...", he responded - she could just imagine the wink he sent along with it. "It's a double room. I'll stay in the bedroom part until I've got on all my clothing. And socks.", he added as an afterthought. Tia smiled, but was still a bit hesitant.

"Umm, I don't really know...", she said.

"Ah well, that's allright... it has to be awkward, I know...", he said. "I'm almost done anyway. Be there in a minute!" A few moments later, he emerged in the doorway looking smart in a deep blue shirt and trousers. "Ready to go, milady?", he said jokingly while offering her his arm.

"Lead the way, milord...", she answered, her tone playful, as she put her arm through his and allowed him to walk her to their destination. It wasn't a fancy place to dine, but Tia enjoyed the service and the decent food. There was music being played by a guy on a stage, and by the time they went back to the castle, it was already dark. Tia smiled as Dekar looked a bit concerned with her rather airy choice of clothing, but then was reminded that desert nights can be chilly.

Dekar couldn't help but draw her a bit closer to him as she shivered, the first confrontation with the crisp night air startling her.

"Don't worry, you'll be home fast.", he said reassuringly as he manoeuvred the two of them through the streets. "Here we are..." Opening the door for her, he let her in.

"Thanks Dekar... my, it's chilly here after dark, isn't it?", she said as she used the Spark spell to light her fireplace. "To think that one could actually need a fire in a desert..."

"Why, that's the way of the desert, milady...", Dekar said with a smile as he sat down into one of the couches in front of the fire, while Tia gracefully seated herself in the other after having gotten some cookies from the kitchen. The rest of his words were lost to her, since he spoke with his mouth full.

"I'm sorry, didn't hear that...", Tia said and laughed as he swallowed a great lump of chewed cookie immediately after.

"Sorry... I asked if you would like me to cook again tomorrow. Your first training with a long sword will be harsh again... and this time, you'll also train with a short sword once a week, for about an hour each time, to keep your skills sharp."

"If you don't mind cooking for a sweaty, smelling trainee... I'd love to. Last time you cooked was even better than the food I got tonight.", she said, His eyes twinkled as he responded:

"Oh, that's nice to hear - saves me the money of buying you dinner..."

"Oh, Dekar, you fiend!", Tia said as she swatted his shoulder playfully. Then, turning more morose, she added: "...I'd better go off to bed as soon as I can. I have a long day ahead of me, and so do you, I guess..."

"Point taken...", Dekar said as he stifled a yawn and got up. "Better hit the hay before I crash out here on your couch. It was a pleasure to treat a lady like yourself to dinner."

"Oh, no, the pleasure was all mine...", she said as she, too, rose and walked him to the door. "So, see you tomorrow morning?"

"Tomorrow morning it is...", he said with a smile. His eyes twinkled with joy. "Have a good rest, Tia."

"You too!", she said as he walked off, into the darkness, towards the castle. _He's sweet..._, Tia thought as she put on her pyjamas. _A charmer and one hell of a good trainer..._

Her longsword training began just the same as her short sword training: with the basic techniques. She quickly found out that a longsword was _definitely_ in a totally different league from a short sword: it was heavier, obviously larger and more dangerous. Her first lesson gave her multiple bruises and cuts only by handling it defensively. Dekar was harsh on her, scolding her for every mistake she made. However, he winked occasionally at her before disarming her yet again, knocking her down into the sands with ease.

"You're still too reckless! Plus you let me come way too close. Remember, both of you, that a longsword is a long sword. You need a bit more distance for maximum effect. Let's try again!" Tia fared a bit better as the afternoon progressed, slowly adjusting to the weapon's characteristics. By the end of the afternoon, she managed to keep her sword in her hands and had not endured another direct hit. Dekar commended her as he walked them to the exercise room to monitor them doing their daily exercises.

"You did well for someone who's not built to handle a weapon of that size and weight, Tia...", Dekar said as he watched both of his sweaty trainees do push-ups. "You too, prince Alex. If you train every day like you do now, you'll have enough strength to swing a weapon like that around as if it was a toothpick by next year!" He chuckled as he saw Tia raise an eyebrow. "Didn't I ever tell you that Selan used to handle her staff, which nearly weighed half her weight, as if it was a feather made of steel? She was quite handy with it...", he mused as he squatted down next to Tia and pushed his hand on her back. "Press up against my hand." Tia obliged and Dekar grinned: she hadn't struggled like she had the first few times he had done that. "Very well... you can start pushing up with weights starting tomorrow!", he said, winking at her when she groaned. He then squatted next to the prince and asked him to do the same. The prince struggled, but then found that Dekar was playing a joke on him by having put his knee on his back. He got the same advice as Tia and Dekar clapped his hands, ordering them to their next exercise, which were sit-ups. Here he tested the both of them too and found that they could advance a bit in difficulty in that area as well. By the end of the hour, Tia had gotten the all clear for each exercise, while prince Alex still needed to improve in one or two areas.

"Hey Tia," Dekar called over to her as she walked out of the castle, "I'll be over in an hour or so, okay?" Tia nodded and went on to her house, where she immediately drew a bath and set herself gently down in it, wincing each time the hot water hit another cut or bruise. _I think some of these bruises never get a chance to heal..._, Tia thought as she diligently soaped herself and shampooed her hair. _Dekar doesn't go easy on me at all – but then again, I don't want him going easy on me..._ She submerged her head and rinsed all the shampoo from it with some more water. _If only Maxim could see me now..._, Tia thought, a melancholy feeling rising up from the depths of her soul. She washed herself gently, musing on how amazed her old friend would've been if he'd seen her progress. And, without knowing it herself, she smiled softly as she mused about the hero...

"Dekar, your cooking was excellent again!", Tia said as she wiped the corners of her mouth with her napkin. Dekar merely grinned in response, too content to even move. "You've got me wondering, though, how you got to be such an excellent cook."

"Oh, when my parents and sister left...", Dekar said, bowing his head for a second to pay silent respect to the memory of his family, "...I had to learn to fend on my own. I had reached the age of adulthood – being 15 as a boy here in Bound – but I still lived with my parents. When they left, I was forced to move into the castle and learn to take care of myself. I got lucky: one of the other soldiers, Lucas, was the son of a chef. He first taught me the basics of cooking – starting with boiling an egg. You can't believe how much softboiled eggs I've eaten then!" Tia snickered: she, too, liked her eggs hardboiled. "After I could cook decently, he taught me a few tricks here and there, like which herbs match which meats, and which vegetables are sweet, which are sour, which bitter and which are just plain good."

"He did a good job, too.", Tia commented with a broad smile. Dekar looked at her and couldn't help but return her smile, his eyes sparkling as hers did.

"Yeah, he was a great man, too. But a few years ago, he got involved in an accident and died... he'd only done his two years of army duty – I stayed while he left to go work with his father. The restaurant we've been to yesterday... it had a memorial plaque on the door, remember?"

"Yes, about how the restaurant was restarted after a... Oh god..."

"I went to that restaurant regularly, to spend some time with an old friend. He'd amaze me with new dishes, I'd tell him tales of the other soldiers and the new recruits. The kitchen was top notch, I'd had the tour one night before they opened. But something overheated and the entire restaurant burnt to cinders. At one point, when the flames were already through the roof, someone found out his wife was still in there. Lucas ran in and got the lady out, but he got hit by a piece of burning debris which broke one of his legs and trapped him inside..."

"Oh, Dekar...", Tia said. But the warrior showed no signs of sorrow – on the contrary, he smiled as he looked up to the sky.

"He died in his restaurant, was cremated and got to see a half-naked woman before he died – he's got to be happy up there, his wishes were all fulfilled." Then, with a wink at Tia, he said: "Not every death is unhappy. He's up there, cooking for angels."

"Do you suppose they like his food?", Tia said, her face brightening again. She liked the idea of seeing beloved ones surrounded by angels after their death.

"Well, surely they do, 'cause they haven't cried for years!", he said – Tia giggled as she caught on, there was never rain in the desert. With a happy sigh, she rose and collected the dirty plates, carrying them to the kitchen, pondering in the meanwhile how unique Dekar's character was.


	3. An invitation or two

Fate, Friends & Feelings (part 2 of the Bound trilogy) - by Shade-Duelist

disclaimer: if you still read this... Lufia is copyrighted to Taito. I don't own it, nor do I own anything from it. But I do own this story, so ask me before using it elsewhere.

Tia sighed as she closed the door of her house behind her. It had been about three weeks after she had started training with the long sword, and she had come to the conclusion that it was infinitely more difficult than using a short sword. She had progressed much slower, and was now battling orcs and wisps, who had a nasty tendency to use her sword as a target for their Flash spells. She had blisters from the fights of that day, and she had the feeling she wasn't getting anywhere. But then she remembered Dekar's announcement at the end of the day, and she smiled again.

"Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, you don't need to come to training. I trust you, however, to not forget your exercises, since you can't afford to skip those. …What's with the surprised faces? It's a holiday tomorrow!" He had then dismissed them from their exercises with a wave of his hand and had started his own exercises. Tia had stayed and watched, which she had done ever since she had seen him do his exercises for the first time, a week ago.

At first, she had been shocked to see he could lift about 100 kilos with ease. Then she saw him complete a series of exercises she would never be able to do even if she trained all her life, like doing push-ups in full equipment, and she was dumbfounded. Dekar had noticed her gasp: when he looked her way, she saw his big goofy smile and realised she must be staring. When she had turned her head away, blushing fiercely, he had walked up to her.

"Tia? No need to look away, no need to blush either. Those're just my kinda exercises." Then, when he noticed her looking back slowly, incredulous, he had added: "By the time your training is over, you'll be doing these exercises with me – and as easily as I am. I won't promise you that you'll be able to lift 100 kilos like I do, maybe you'll be able to lift 50. But the push-ups in full armor, those'll be a piece of cake to you…"

"R-really?", she had said, disbelief apparent in her voice. He had nodded with a smile and had then accompanied her to the soldiers' mess hall, where they ate a simple meal. He hadn't spoken of it since, but it had lingered in Tia's mind.

Suddenly, someone knocked on her door. Tia sprang out of the chair she had been sitting in and went to the door. To her surprise, it was prince Alex.

"Hello, Tia.", he said as he walked in. "Is Dekar around?"

"N-no…", said Tia, blushing slightly. "Isn't he in his quarters?"

"Oh, I'm not looking for Dekar, Tia… but I was hoping he wasn't here.", the prince said, and Tia looked at him, surprised. _Why would he want to be sure Dekar isn't around?_, she mused. The prince had guessed her unposed question, apparently, for he continued: "It's just that people in the castle are a bit gossipy and, um… Well… let's just say Dekar isn't the brightest star around…" Tia smiled softly as she remembered how forgetful and clumsy Dekar had been when she first met him, and then shook her head: the prince wasn't right at all.

"He may not look like it, but…"

"Shh…", the prince silenced her, and Tia felt disgruntled – though only for a brief moment. "I didn't come here to talk about Dekar… but I'd much like to get to know you better. I was hoping that you'd like to spend some time with me tomorrow." She looked at the prince in surprise, not believing what she heard.

"Spend time with you?", she asked, feeling elated. _Why would a prince want to spend time with me? I'm not that special..._, she thought.

"Oh, I would certainly understand if you already had plans, but I would feel honoured."

"W-well... I'd love to.", Tia said with a faint blush. _He said _he_ would be honoured to spend some time with _me_ tomorrow..._, she mused, and then returned to reality. "What did you have in mind?"

"Oh, nothing much... I was just hoping I'd have the honour of asking you to dine with me in the castle tomorrow. Not in the soldiers' mess hall, but in the royal dining room."

"Okay... should I dress fancy?", Tia asked, after which the prince chuckled.

"No need to. Just wear what you'd usually wear around the house on your day off, and it'll be fine."

The next day, Tia awoke early and immediately got excited about her 'date' that evening. She was looking forward to her supper, mostly because she wanted to see what the royal dining room looked like – the chance to see any royal room only came once, she knew – but also because she was curious about the prince. He seemed nice enough: charming smile, sparkling eyes, very gentlemanly... a bit different from Dekar, who was just himself, Tia thought.

She was so distracted about it during her morning run around the castle that she didn't even notice Dekar joining her after her first lap.

"Hey, dreamy, time to wake up... unless you feel ready to run around the castle a third time..." his voice brought her back to reality, and she smiled apologetically.

"Hi, Dekar... Sorry about that. I've got a lot to think about, so..."

"Oh? Got plans for the day, I see.", he said with his usual goofy smile. Tia smiled back, glad he found it good she had something to do that day.

"Prince Alex came by and invited me to have dinner with him in the royal dining room.", she said excitedly. She thought she saw a hint of disappointment pass over Dekar's features, but it was over in a split second and he responded.

"Oh, that's nice of him. Ah well, I wanted to ask you if you'd like to eat with me tonight, but I guess I can always ask if you'd like to eat with me tomorrow?"

"In the soldiers' mess hall?", she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Actually, at my place. I've finally gotten that transfer I wanted. Since prince Alex is training, he won't actually need me as a bodyguard anymore, so I applied for a reassignment as an officer in the Bound army and I've become exercise master of the soldiers." He smiled proudly and Tia clapped her hands.

"Congratulations Dekar. So I'll be calling you 'sarge' in a few months' time or what?"

"Huh?", he seemed dumbfounded, so Tia clarified with a small smile.

"Alex and I are supposed to be training with the soldiers in about four months' time, remember?"

"Oh yeah...", he said slowly. "Sorry, you know what I'm like..." He seemed a bit ashamed of himself.

"That's allright. You may not be the brightest man, but you're certainly the strongest man!", she said. "Plus, you do have the best battle tactics I know."

"Flatterer...", Dekar said. He then continued on a more serious note: "But my reassignment also means that I'll be moving out of the castle and into that other house my parents left me. Which happens to be as cosy as yours. So, will you come over for dinner tomorrow? Look at it as a house-warming dinner."

"Sure.", Tia said. Dekar had cooked for her on a few occasions, which were all great meals. "I'd be happy to!"

That evening, Tia had dressed her best – despite prince Alex' telling her not to – and was about to spray some perfume on her when a knock on her front door startled her. She opened it to reveal the prince, standing there with a bouquet of flowers a bit anxiously.

"Can I come in?", he asked, sounding nervous, and Tia giggled despite herself.

"Of course...", she said. "You're too kind, bringing me flowers..."

"It's just a gesture...", he murmured, a bit undone by her openness. Then, he restored and gained back his polished manners. "Are you ready to go, then?"

"I sure am!", she said as she took the arm he extended and walked out with him. "Now, I've been dying to know what kind of people your mother and father are...", she commented jokingly.

"Oh, but I only introduce them to girls after we've been on a date four times or so...", the prince answered in the same playful tone. Tia smiled.

"I think I'm going to like getting to know you...", she said with a contented sigh as she walked a bit closer to her companion, still conscious of the cold of the desert nights.

"I think I like it already...", the prince answered in a half-whisper.

But Tia was oblivious to his response.


	4. Battle training

Fate, Friends & Feelings (part 2 of the Bound trilogy) - by Shade-Duelist

disclaimer: Lufia owned by Taito, story owned by Rey – ask them for permission to use their respective property – it's as simple as that.

The next day, Tia still found herself in a haze of contentedness from the day before. She and the prince had talked until it was positively freezing outside – Tia could swear she'd vaguely heard three clangs of a bell somewhere as she had made her way home – and still she had the feeling she wanted to learn more. With a broad smile, she ate breakfast and prepared herself for her morning run.

That morning as well as the one before, Dekar joined her after her first lap, but this time Tia was more attentive. She waved in greeting to him and then patiently waited for him to finish his morning run and join her. When he did, he motioned for her to sit down a while, allowing him to catch his breath first.

"So, how was your dinner with prince Alex last night?", he asked cheerfully.

"Oh, it was allright... I really want to get to know him better. Didn't really get to see his parents, though, we had the dining room all to ourselves... Anyway, I'll see you tonight, I guess... No use keeping you from your morning exercise any longer. Think I'll go and bathe now." Tia was a bit ashamed to talk about her evening to Dekar, especially considering it was his prince she was talking about.

"Oh, okay then... but do you mind if I come over to your house today? I'd really like to talk to you properly – yesterday you were in a bit of a daze...", he commented with his usual goofy grin.

"Oh, that's allright... Come over anytime you want!", she said as she rose from the ground and dusted herself off. "See you later!" As she walked back from the castle, she suddenly remembered something and turned around, only to see Dekar walking inside the castle again. _The day before yesterday, prince Alex said some pretty mean things about Dekar... but is it right to just let that happen? Should I speak up – to any of them?_

After her bath and her lunch, Tia sat back to do a bit of reading, which she preferred to do on the days that she didn't have to practice since reading did tire her a bit. Just as she was getting into the story again, a knock on the door surprised her. Wondering if it was Dekar already, she walked over to the door and was surprised to see it was the prince.

"Tia, can I come in?", he asked, a bright smile gracing his face. Tia nodded, suddenly a bit shy, and let him in, offering him a drink. As she returned from the kitchen with it, he immediately started talking. "Tia, I have a request to make of you. I have to go to Alunze Kingdom tomorrow for... diplomatic purposes. I would like it if you'd escort me. From what I've gathered, you have family living there – they would be ever so glad to see you again, I'm sure. And you'd do me a great favour." Tia nearly dropped the glass she still held. _He wants me to just up and leave with him? Can I do that?_

"P-prince Alex...", she started, but was cut off by him with a frown.

"Please, just Alex. There are about a hundred thousand people who call me 'prince' or 'Your Highness', one less won't make a difference in how they esteem me, I'm sure..."

"Alex then... I just don't think I can. I mean, it's so sudden! And what about my training and Dekar? I'd miss Dekar for sure." _What kind of person am I, using Dekar as an excuse..._, she thought with a frown. To her surprise, prince Alex smiled and nodded.

"I knew you were going to say that. Don't worry, it's probably for the best if I go alone. But I'll miss you when I'm gone. That's actually what I came here to say...", he added with a bewildered expression on his face. "I really will miss you.", he said, with such sincerity speaking from his eyes that Tia couldn't help but smile with.

"I'll miss you, too. Getting to know you is one of the best things yet, you're so different from all the other people I know. Please tell me when you'll return."

"In about a week, maybe two if the negotiations take their time and the mountain passes are already snowed in. But no longer than two weeks, I swear."

"Good,", Tia said, her smile broadening and her eyes sparkling, "because I want to talk to you when you're back!" She hugged him briefly, oblivious to the fact that he didn't let her go immediately...

Later that afternoon – Tia had by then given up the hope of finishing her book ever – Dekar came by to speak to her as he'd promised. She brought him a drink and sat down along with him.

"So, you said you wanted to speak to me.", Tia said with a smile.

"Oh, did I?", Dekar said, looking nonplussed and scratching behind his ear. Tia giggled, for her friend looked just as goofy as he had been that first day when she met him. "Oh yeah, now I remember!", he exclaimed after having pondered for a few moments. "Tia, how would you like to spend the upcoming Winter Festival in Tanbel? There might even be snow! And Jessy told me she had grand news to announce to all of us, and said to make sure we're there on the Festival Eve." Tia smiled gently.

"Well, of course I'd like that. Do they even celebrate the Winter Festival here?", she asked, trying to picture a Festival without snow.

"Yeah, the mages create some snow for the usual contests, like sleigh riding, a snowball competition and the treasure hunt. But it's mainly just the hot ole desert around here, which kind of ruins the atmosphere. In Tanbel, it does snow – and lots, by what I've seen of it last winter..." Dekar then stared off into space, no doubt lost in memories. Tia could only smile as she noticed his face lose its usual roughness and gain a softness from his being lost in thoughts.

"I wonder what Jessy's grand news could be...", Tia said after a while, startling Dekar a bit.

"I have no idea...", the fighter said, scratching his chin in thought – in doing so, he made Tia notice the slight bit of oddly blue stubble on his chin. "Maybe they've finally decided when they're going to marry!", he suddenly said.

"Yes, that could be it... or maybe they're going to start a family...", Tia added her thoughts on the matter. Dekar snickered.

"I don't exactly see Guy as a family man..." Then, as Tia raised an eyebrow in surprise, he added: "Picture him with a baby in his arms, I dare ya..." Tia closed her eyes and suddenly got a vivid image of Guy changing a diaper and looking green in the face. She started giggling uncontrollably – Dekar merely nodded with a grin. "See, I told you, to us he'll always be halberd-wielding Guy."

"Maybe..." Tia tried desperately to control her laughing outburst – a difficult feat since the mental image now seemed to be etched in her subconscious – and spoke seriously, though with a smile on her face. "Maybe he just wants to discover a different side of himself. Or maybe he wants a quiet life, like Maxim would've had."

At that point, Dekar turned to look at Tia, and he was amazed to see her smile upon saying it.

"Tia... you're smiling...", he merely said, awestruck. Tia then startled, hesitantly bringing her hand up to her mouth and touching the corners, as if she didn't believe what was happening.

"You're right... I can think of Maxim and smile at the memories...", she said, and then grew silent for a while.

As Dekar started to talk airily about some other subject, he was gleaming with pride mentally – pride about how much Tia had grown as a warrior and a person during the past months...

The next day, Dekar was surprised to see Tia stand before him alone: as she explained where the prince had gone to, he shrugged and motioned for her to get her longsword from the weapons rack. Figuring he wanted to go ahead with her training, Tia complied, not bothering to ask him about it. Two weeks later, once the prince had returned, Tia had advanced sufficiently to be able to defeat Orc Mages without enduring one of their spells, while prince Alex was still battling Wisps and regular Orcs. As she took on her battle stance again, ready for the next opponent, Dekar called it a day and walked up to them.

"It's time for your short sword practice, you two! Change weapons and return here. I'll instruct the guys here..." As Tia walked to the weapons rack situated at the far end of the training grounds, she noticed Dekar say something to the mages, who grinned broadly as they nodded.

As they returned to their positions again, Dekar filled them in on his plan.

"Today, you won't train separately – instead you'll fight one monster between the two of you. I'll tell you what to observe first, and then I'll see how you fare in a real battle. Listen up! First of all, make sure you both know where the other'll be during your own attack – you could end up killing your ally otherwise. Also, make sure you notice when your ally needs a break. Use his or her attacks as a breather and give the other a chance to gather strength again as well. Lastly, and most importantly: never lose sight of your enemy. If he flies up, track him. If he disappears, track him. If he dies, stab him again to make sure... Okay? Battle stance!", he shouted as Tia and prince Alex had nodded, his shout a sign for the mages to start casting their spells. Tia noticed that the two mages casted simultaneously...

...but she wasn't given much time to ponder it, because the spell revealed a large green dragon, his fangs dripping with slime and his angry roar shaking the ground as he noticed the two trainees in front of him. Tia mentally readied herself and then charged in, keeping her eye on the prince all the while. She slashed her short sword over one of the paws in order to try and incapacitate it, while prince Alex merely stabbed at the neck, his sword not penetrating the scales on it – Tia's merely scraped a few of its scales off. Dashing to the right to avoid a dragon claw, Tia shouted to Alex: "Attack the belly!" As the prince heard it, he nodded and sidestepped, the dragon's mouth closing on the spot where his head had been only instants before. Tia reached the back of the monster and decided on an unorthodox attack: she stabbed at the lowest point of the underside of its tail. Her sword dug in easily as she lunged and the dragon roared, rearing itself on its hind legs, nearly twisting Tia's arm as she tried to pull the sword out again. That left the way open for Alex, who swiped across the dragon's belly, cutting open the softer flesh and leaving a large, gaping wound. The dragon tried to fly off, but Tia summoned up some of the ire she had accumulated in previous fights and used her short sword's IP attack: jumping up, she singed the dragon's wings, incapacitating it effectively. It crashed back down on the ground, barely missing Alex, but Tia saw an open shot and nodded at the prince, who got the hint and rushed back into the fray. As the dragon reared itself again, trying to recover from the attack, Tia dug her sword into the soft belly as deep as she could and used the momentum of her rush to deepen the cut Alex already left. The prince followed her a moment later, stabbing the monster in the chest as it doubled in pain. Now the monster was truly defeated: it fell apart in smoke as it gave its dying gasp, the mages dissipating its image swiftly.

"Well done!", Dekar said, stepping to his two trainees who were busy washing the blood off of them. "You two make a good team in battle! When you continue your usual training next week, remember this lesson well. From now on, I'll pitch you two in battle together regularly. Now let's see you do your exercises and then you can enjoy a nice refreshing bath..."


	5. Good News

Fate, Friends & Feelings (part 2 of the Bound trilogy) - by Shade-Duelist

disclaimer: perhaps I should quit saying this, but... I don't own Lufia, that burden is Taito's to bear. I'm only a humble writer. But I'd appreciate it if you ask me for permission to use this story elsewhere...

Tia's training with the longsword ended fairly quickly, and she was allowed a few days off to give prince Alex a chance to end his training as well, though she had to continue her exercises and she had to take her short sword practice with him by the end of the week regardless of his progress. She used the time to catch up on her reading or to do a bit of work around her house.

Just as she was sweeping her bedroom, she heard someone knock on her door. Poking her head through the window, she saw Dekar stand below, looking around aimlessly and humming a tune.

"Dekar!", she shouted down – the warrior jumped and then relaxed, looking up to see her and waving.

"Tia, hello. Still cleaning?", he asked with a grin, lazily scratching the back of his head.

"Unfortunately, yes. What brings you here?", she asked.

"News... and thirst. Can you let me in, please?", he returned, looking at her pleadingly. She sighed and closed the window, heading downstairs to open the door for him.

"I was just finishing anyway. Here you go...", she said as she walked back from the kitchen after seeing him seated first. "Now, what's the news?" Dekar grinned and showed Tia a small green card.

"The Winter Festival in Tanbel begins next week, so I was wondering when you'd like to leave. If we set off tomorrow, then we'll be a bit early! Unfortunately we may have to go via Clamento, since the passes through the mountains are snowed in."

"Oh, Dekar, you big goof! We can go whenever we want to, one of the mages taught me the Warp spell a month ago..." Tia snickered as Dekar merely nodded in surprise, more astounded by his having forgotten than anything else. "Now, I suggest we leave after Alex and I have short sword practice. I can't slack off, now can I?"

"Well, no, we can't have that, not while you're progressing so greatly!", he said with a proud smirk. "Okay then, I'll be off again. Sorry to have disturbed, Tia...", he finished as he rose from his chair. Tia smiled at him.

"You know my door's always open to you!", she said. "I'll see you later tonight, for my exercises?"

"Uh... yeah, okay...", Dekar spoke, having regained his goofy smile again. "Later!"

The end of the week approached swiftly, and the short sword practice went by uneventful. Tia and prince Alex fought a team of three Sphinxes off with a cunning sample of coordination, which earned them an ovation from both mages and Dekar, who told Tia 'not even Maxim could've done that better'. After their exercises, he told Tia to take a bath and then to take her luggage with her to his house, from where they'd warp. He expressly gave her the advice to pack warm clothing and to make sure she had a scarf and gloves with her. "I've been in Tanbel during the time of the Winter Festival a year ago... and let's just say my toes needed to thaw for a week after that!", he said, remembering it with a shiver. Tia laughed lightly as she saw it but nodded, making sure to take some of her old clothes with her, which would certainly keep her warm. At last the hour of departure had arrived, and Tia stood with her suitcase in hand next to Dekar, who had a suitcase only half the size of hers with him, but who wore a thick coat which Tia suspected him to keep only for the occasion.

"Okay, Dekar...", Tia said as she extended her hand to him, "hold on tight!" He took her hand in his and vaguely heard Tia speak the words of the Warp spell...

"Tia, Dekar, good to see you again!", Jessy exclaimed as the two walked into the inn, where a large group sat gathered against the cold, enjoying the pleasure of a hot chocolate milk. Guy rose from his chair and extended his hand to the two – Tia pushed Dekar forward so Guy had to shake hands with him first and laughed merrily as Guy looked utterly dumbfounded.

"Good to see you all in good health, too.", she answered with a broad smile as Jessy pushed Guy aside after the warrior had shaken Tia's hand – Tia found herself being drawn into a hug by the other woman to her surprise. "I'm curious about your 'grand news', too..."

"You'll never believe it if I tell you all!", she said with a broad smile as she directed Tia to an empty chair next to Dekar and herself, where a hot chocolate milk was already waiting for her. After one sip, the petite fighter-mage sighed contentedly. Dekar chuckled as he picked up his own hot chocolate milk and sipped it with a smile.

"Well, this is something I don't get to drink often!", he said as Jessy took her empty cup to the kitchen. "It tastes extraordinary... Guy, you're lucky to have someone like your Jessy." Guy's eyes widened and he drew Jessy closer to him, a gesture which caused the girl to giggle and put her arm around Guy's shoulder.

"Dekar, you're a sweet-talker, but you're a bit too late, I'm already taken...", Jessy said, trying to calm Guy down. Dekar shook his head as well and continued with a smile:

"I know, and I wouldn't want to break up a happy romance either, but I figured it'd take some flattery from other men to make that oaf realise what he has in his arms..." Upon which statement Guy suddenly burst out laughing, patting Dekar on the shoulder to Tia's surprise.

"Dekar, you runt, I never needed anyone to point out the gorgeous, smart and lovely lady in my arms, thank you very much!"

"Good to see you're happy, man.", Dekar said. Guy chuckled and looked at his former comrade slyly.

"Say, you wouldn't happen to be jealous of my happiness, would you?", Guy asked, and Dekar raised an eyebrow.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He then looked at Jessy, who smiled softly, and nodded in realisation. "You mean 'Aren't you going to find some pretty girl somewhere and make her happy – and let her make you happy?', don't you? Ah well... I always said I'd only need my sword, and I've yet to be convinced otherwise. If there's a lady out there that can convince me to let my sword rest and take interest in her, it might happen." He then started talking of other things quickly, before anyone noticed how a slight blush burnt on his cheeks...

The rest of the day was merrily spent discussing Tia's progress as a warrior – even Hilda agreed that her improvements were awe-inspiring, which caused a fierce blush to grace her cheeks. The grand news wasn't mentioned again – nor did anyone ask about it – but Tia noticed Jessy often sitting down, sighing heavily. She smiled as she found the other woman putting her hand on her stomach subconsciously a few times, a stomach that was indeed a bit more pronounced.

And then, at the end of the evening, when they had eaten dinner and Hilda was putting the dessert plates away, Artea arrived, preceded by the familiar chime of the Warp spell.

"Hello Guy, and miss Jessy, hope you're both well...", he said as he extended his hand, his wounded eye not being bandaged anymore but it appearing a bit empty to Tia, who suppressed a shiver. "What is this joyous news you wrote about?"

"Well...", Guy started, but Jessy silenced him by putting her hand over her mouth.

"I thought we'd promised to let me do the honours?", she said, casting him a look that showed she would not let him just blurt it out. "Well, a few weeks ago, I was visiting a friend over in Alunze to catch up a bit. She told me that she still had a dress that I'd worn a few years before – a nice dress that I'd sorely missed. But when I tried it on again, we found that I'd obviously gained some weight. Last week, one of my newer dresses suddenly got a bit cramped as well. I asked the doctor here if he could, you know, run a few tests, and..."

"And Jessy and I are going to be parents soon!", Guy added, noticing Jessy tiring rapidly – she sat down in a chair and merely nodded, softly keeping her hand on her stomach.

"Three cheers for the warrior-father!", Dekar exclaimed as Hilda giggled along with Tia, seeing how caring Guy suddenly had become with Jessy.

"No, Dekar: three cheers for the future new warrior!!", Tia elaborated.


	6. Axe questions

Fate, Friends & Feelings (part 2 of the Bound trilogy) - by Shade-Duelist

disclaimer: for those of you who still find the time to read this: I do not own Lufia 2, nor do I own its characters. But I do own myself and my ideas – that includes this story, so please ask before using it elsewhere!

The Winter festival had passed like a dream following the news Guy and Jessy had announced: everyone was cheerful, which could only aid the festivities. Three days of singing, dancing, playing and snowball fights later, Dekar and Tia were back in Bound Kingdom – Tia now becoming acquainted with the third weapon she'd learn to handle by Dekar's teachings.

"Today you'll stop being rookies and you'll start becoming true warriors!", Dekar bellowed as they stood in their training attire before him, though he winked at Tia before continuing. "Today is the first day of your lives as highly trained soldiers – and with none other than Bound army's weapon of choice: the axe! Go ahead, pick it up and feel its weight.", he then said, and both Tia and prince Alex tentatively picked up the axe lying in front of them – Dekar had spuriously selected it for them the evening before.

"Dekar, how come it's as light as it is?", the prince asked, amazed at the lack of weight in his axe.

"Well, prince Alex, its weight doesn't determine its lethal nature. It weighs less because I've studied your style, and light-weight weapons with a great impact suit you better than heavy weapons. Besides, your strong point is your strength – the less strength you're using merely holding up the axe or swinging it, the more strength you can pour in wounding your enemies. Tia's axe, on the other hand, is larger and heavier, but that's because she has a great agility – she doesn't have to rely on strength to wound her enemies, she can swiftly find and exploit their weak points with a weaker swing. Although that 'weaker' doesn't mean her swings aren't strong and very lethal...", he said with a smile.

"Wow, thanks...", Tia said as she softly swung the axe in front of her, trying to get used to the added weight of the new weapon in her hands.

"Now, by the end of this month, you'll be able to use that axe you hold now even better than the soldiers can. Maybe almost as good as I can...", he added as he brushed back his unruly mane with his hand, his self-assuredness getting the better of him.

"Care to demonstrate your skills, Dekar?", Tia asked with raised eyebrow. Dekar chuckled and nodded, calling one of the mages that stood to the side, watching their training sessions as always.

"Sure thing, Tia! Yassu, care to come over here?" The mage nodded and walked briskly over to his friend – Dekar whispered something in his ear, and the mage's eyes grew wide in shock. Dekar chuckled and then said something else, and now the mage's laughter roared across the otherwise-empty training grounds. He retreated into the shadows and started casting a long and winding spell – and suddenly the training grounds seemed to have become a wide sea, from which a gargantuan squid appeared. Tia immediately knew it was a Kraken, the most fearsome beast that lived in the ocean depths, and she was baffled that Dekar could handle it.

And handle it the Bound champion did: after a few quick jumps, each time severing a lashing tentacle, he performed a magnificent leap into the air, using the momentum of his fall to add more power to his blow, nearly cleaving the fifty-foot-high beast in half. It dissipated in smoke, leaving Dekar to grin confidently at his two pupils.

"Like I said, maybe you two will be able to achieve something like that. But not if you don't start practising right now!" The latter part was shouted out, and the two trainees needed no more than that.

At the end of that evening, Tia felt sore and exhausted. She'd had no problems wielding the axe at first, but quickly tired after an hour and had had to use all of her strength to keep up her exercises. Dekar had noticed that, but he hadn't given in and had not told her to stop: Tia knew she'd benefit from that the next day, but now all of her muscles were complaining from the strain she'd put them through, not to mention the dull pain in her right shoulder...

"Tia?" A knock on her door preceded Dekar's entrance, which he made with some difficulty owing to the fact that he carried two armfuls of bags. Also, to Tia's utter surprise, he had brought someone with him, a young woman of about her own age with bright orange hair and round brown eyes. "Okay, Lanya, this is Tia – a very good friend of mine. Tia, meet Lanya, the woman you'll come to hate in about ten minutes and love in the hour following that." Seeing the blatant surprise on her face, Dekar chuckled and elaborated: "She's a skilled masseuse and exercise master – she's going to help your muscles prepare for tomorrow. But first..."

"First things first!", Lanya said firmly as she looked at Tia with a scrutinizing gaze while grabbing one or two of the bags and taking out a few compresses. "Tia, milady, I'm going to have to ask you to sit up with your chest against the back of this chair. Hold it firmly with your left arm – Dekar, hold her down." The last four words were said through clenched teeth, and within seconds Dekar pressed against Tia closely, pinning her down on the chair but leaving her right arm exposed.

"W-what's the- WAAAAAAAAAAH!" A startled cry of pain escaped Tia as the young woman in front of her pushed on her shoulder gently while firmly pulling her arm back – something snapped back into its place and suddenly heat seemed to rush across her shoulder. "Hey, that hurt!!", she yelled.

"I'm sorry, but it had to happen, Tia. Right now, the royal doctor is doing the same with prince Alex, who will probably be screaming the whole castle awake..." He sighed. "A dislocated shoulder is something everyone gets when they've practiced for such a long time with an axe when they haven't held one before. Heck, even I had to have my shoulder set – though not by a gentle young lady like Lanya..."

"Now I'll begin with the better part, milady Tia. If you'd kindly direct me to your living room couch or your bedroom, then I can make sure the pain of a dislocated shoulder will become a far-off memory. ...Don't worry, it will only happen once. The muscles will have strengthened now, they won't give way that easily anymore... Dekar and his rash methods!", the woman cursed as Tia had walked over to her living room, to the sofa, and Dekar came behind her carrying all the bags and cases of the young masseuse.

"Hey, they work, don't they?", he said after putting down the bags, shrugging.

"Yeah, well, I suppose I'd be out of work if you didn't use your methods...", Lanya said with a smile. "By the way, Dekar, you owe me three hundred gold pieces for this house call.", she added, making Dekar blink in surprise. Tia giggled as she saw her friend was dumbfounded.

"Oh, but I'll pay for it if he won't...", she started, but Dekar cut her off immediately, though with a broad smile.

"Not to worry, not to worry, here's your three hundred. And there's another hundred for a tip, make sure Tia here will want to see you again tomorrow evening." Now it was Lanya's turn to blink in surprise – Dekar, though being charming, never had given her a tip before.

"Wow, never thought I'd see the day when the almighty Dekar would finally fall for a woman's charms...", she said with a wink to Tia.

"Hey, I resent that!", Dekar shouted, suddenly blushing, "J-just get on with it, okay?" Then, his voice and colour softening a bit again, he turned to Tia. "Tia, if she doesn't make you feel like a jelly, kick her in the shins, okay? I'll head on home, to enjoy my night's rest... and to avoid the upcoming bare female body...", he added when Lanya glared at him.

"Okay. Sleep tight, okay?", Tia said, winking at the woman that now rushed her blue-haired friend out the door so Tia could enjoy her relaxation moment in peace.

"So...", Lanya said when Tia had taken off her house clothes and lay down on the sofa, "Are you two going out, by any chance?"

"Uh, n-no...", Tia said, frowning a bit. "What makes you believe that?"

"Well, for starters, Dekar has never addressed any woman with her first name, only 'miss' or 'milady'. And then he blushed when I mentioned him falling for a woman's charms..."

"He could've thought you meant your own charms...", Tia said with a lazy smile as the other woman firmly pushed down onto her back, making sure all tension left her muscles.

"Hah! Dekar and I are distant relatives – plus I'm butt-ugly to him, meaning I'm not his type of girl – so he's immune to my charms... Let's face it, it must be you...", she concluded with a sly grin.

"Impossible, Dekar and I are friends – no less, but no more.", Tia said firmly. "Besides, he's told me several times that I remind him of his younger sister. ...Not exactly how you picture a girl you love, is it?", she finished. Lanya remained silent for a while, massaging Tia's back while pondering on what she had said.

"You might be right...", she finally conceded, but not before adding: "But I tell you, there's a woman in his life, I can tell!"


End file.
